Atlanta (AP) – It’s been six months since Joe Biden left the oval office. Republicans, whose president Donald TrumpI can’t stop talking about him.
The house launched surveys affirm that the advisers closest to Biden have covered a Physical and mental decline during 82 years old The Democratic Presidency. The Senate started A series of audiences concentrated on its mental form. And Trump’s white house has opened his own investigation in the use by the administration Biden of presidentialThat Trump called “one of the greatest scandals in the history of our country”.
Everything corresponds to the practice of Trump of blame his predecessors For the evils of the nation. Last week, he tried to Deflect criticism management of its administration of Jeffrey Epstein case of sex trafficking by throwing blame on others, including Biden.
Return the spotlight to the former president includes risks for both parties before the middle of 2026. The more Republicans or Democrats talk about bidenThe less they can make arguments on the impact of the presidency of Trump – positive or negative – in particular its sweep a new tax reduction and an expenditure law This reshapes the federal government.
“Most Americans consider that Joe Biden is news of yesterday,” said Republican sounder Whit Ayres.
The Republicans want the Biden autopen to become a flash point
Seeking to avenge His defeat in 2020 against BidenTrump was constantly making fun of the age and physical form of his rival in 2024, even after Biden dropped his re -election offer and gave in to the president at the time Kamala Harris.
He and other Republicans seemed to spend the summer praising their new tax, expenses and policies package. But Trump, now 79 years old and facing his Health challengesrefused to relax on Biden, and his allies in the party followed suit.
Republican representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin described the use by the Blanche de Biden de l’Autopen “a massive scandal”, while the Republican representative Nick Lalota insists that his New York voters “are curious to know what was going on during the days of President Biden”.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, recently confirmed that the administration would continue an investigation into the use by the Biden administration of the presidential autopen. Trump and other Republicans wondered if Biden was actually direct the country And the suggested aids have abused a tool that has long been part of the signing of the actions approved by the presidency.
“We deserve to go to the bottom,” said Leavitt.
Biden responded to criticism by publish a declaration To say that he had actually made the decisions during his presidency and that any suggestion “is otherwise ridiculous and false”.
Congress committees investigate
In Capitol Hill, the chamber’s surveillance committee summoned audiences on the use of the autopen and the ability of Biden for its functions. Van Orden cited the acquisition authority of Article II of the Constitution only with the President.
“It doesn’t say the chief of staff. It doesn’t say an automatic pen,” he said.
The house panel assigned to appear Biden doctor and an assistant superior to Former First Lady Jill Biden. The two invoked the protections of the fifth amendment which prevent people from being forced to testify against themselves in government procedures.
“There was not there,” said Democratic representative Wesley Bell of Missouri, a member of the committee who described the effort to “waste extraordinary time”.
The chairman of the committee, representative James Comer, wants to hear the old White House chiefs Ron Klain and Jeff Zients; Former main advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; and other old high levels of high level Bruce Reed, Steve Ricchetti and Annie Tomasini, among others. The Republicans have confirmed several dates for sessions until the end of September, ensuring that it will remain in the headlines.
Investigations could expire GOP efforts to positively define Trump
This GOP calendar intervenes while the two parties work feverishly to define the start of Trump in his second term.
His so-called “A great nice bill” is a mixture of tax reductions, border security measures and reduction of safety net programs such as MedicaidA joint feet-federal insurance program for low-income Americans. The polls suggest that certain individual measures are popular while others are not and that the GOP faces the contrary winds on the inclination of the public in favor of the overall effort.
A recent survey of The Associated Press-Noc Center for Public Affairs Research have found that around two thirds of us, adults, consider the bill as A victory for the rich And another found that about a quarter of us, adults, felt us Trump policies helped them. In the policies survey, he did not obtain majority support for any of the main problems, including the economy, immigration, public spending and health care. Immigration, in particular, had been considered a force majeure for politically.
It is “rather a sneaky tone,” said representative Wesley Bell, a Missouri democrat, so that the Republicans can attack Biden with these circumstances.
“Americans want us to deal with the problems that afflict our country now … The high cost of living, the cost of food, the cost of housing, health care,” said Bell, while exploding the GOP for a deliberate “distraction” of what defies most American households.
The effort also comes with Trump fighting against his own supporters Decision of the Ministry of Justice Do not publicly publish additional recordings related to the Epstein case.
“The Epstein saga is more important for its base than what happened to Joe Biden,” said Ayres, the GOP polster.
Even Lalota, the member of the New York Congress, recognized a balancing act with Biden surveys.
“My voters care the most about affordability and public security,” said Lalota. “But this is nevertheless an important problem.”
Democrats don’t want to talk about Biden
Republicans protecting a narrow majority of the house, each highly contested problem could be considered determining during the mid-term elections of 2026.
This exerts additional pressure on the Republicans to keep the extended coalition of Trump 2024, when he increased support among the Black and Hispanic votersIn particular men, on the usual republican levels. But it is considerably more difficult without Trump himself on the ballot. This could explain republican efforts to continue to continue Biden given how unpopular it is with Trump’s main supporters.
Democrats, on the other hand, point to their 2018 mid-term success During Trump’s first presidency, when they recovered the majority of the room from the strength of moderate voters, including dissatisfied Republicans. They seem convinced that the aggressiveness of the Republicans about Biden does not call on this band of the electorate.
But even if they praise Biden’s achievements as president, the Democrats quietly admit that they do not want to spend time talking about a figure that has left their duties with late approval ratings and forced his party to A late and difficult change At the top of the ticket.
Rep. Don beyer De Virginia said Biden was productive while recognizing that he “was not at the top of his game because of his age”. He said that the Democrats wanted to wait impatiently, the most immediately while trying to gain control of the room and make gains in the Senate.
“And who is our standard carrier in 2028?” Said Beyer. “And how to minimize Trump’s damage with what we have right now?”
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Brown reported Washington.
